bredenbergl



(No Model.) 4 sheets-#sheet 1.

A. BREDENBERG.

SHEET GATHBRING 'MACH-INE.

No. 466,719. Patented Jan. 5, 1892.

(((Klllllllllmll A TURNEY we Noms ravens cn., moro-uwe., wnsuwcun, u4 cA (No maar.) 4 sheets-smeet 2. A. BREDENBERG.- f SHEET GATHERING MACHINE.

10.466,719. Paten-ted Jan. 5,1892.

WITNESSESIA I f l NVENTH Y f mi MMI/4%' ATTORNEY" (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

A. BREDBNBERG.

SHEET GATHERING MACHINE.

No. 466,719. Patented Jan'. 5,'1892.

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WITN ESSES:

(No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 4.

A. BREDENBERG. SHEET AGfATIEIERING MACHINE. No. 466,719. Patented Jan. 5, 1892.

mvENTon ATTORNEY rm; mmm renna coA. wam-mwa., mgnmmaw, nA c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED BREDENBERG, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOROF T'WO-TI-IIRDS TO JOHN IV. LOVELL AND CHARLES IV. LOVELL, OF NET YORK, N. Y.

SHEET-GATHERING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,719, dated January 5, 1892. Application led February 2, 1891. Serial No. 379,865. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED BREDENBERG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklymin the countyof Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Gathering Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a machine for gathio ering the leaves or signatures of books in proper sequence for binding, called a gathering -machine; and it consists, broadly stated, in an exterior series of revolving boxes, in each of which are placed a pile of sheets or signatures, all of the same kind, and an interior revolving' series of boxes, each of which by a step-by-step movement comes, during the revolution of the two series of boxes in opposite direction, coincident with 2o the boxes in the outside series; and there is also automatic mechanism by which the sheets or signatures are one at a time fed from the outside series of boxes into the boxes in the inner series, so that in the inner series the sheets or signatures are properly superposed one upon the other in correct order and arrangement for binding. There are also mechanisms for delivering the complete series of leaves, all ready for binding, from the inner 3o boxes upon a delivery table or chute, and for preventing the operation of such of the boxes as may be desired; also, for affording convenient means for refilling the exterior series of boxes; and the machine is so constructed and arranged as to be practically automatic in all its operations.

In the drawings the same reference-letters illustrate thesame parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation on the line 4o of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan, port-ions of the frame, the., being removed on the sides for the sake of increasing the size of the drawing. Fig. 3 is an elevation showing some of the details of parts of the transferring mechanism. Fig. 4 is an elevation showing the details of the mechanism whereby the exterior series of boxes are opened or adjusted for the reception of a new supply of sheets or signatures. Fig. 5 is a plan of the delivery mechanism 5o whereby the properly-collected sheets or signatures, Which are to form bound books, are

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delivered from the interior series of boxes upon a delivery chute or table. Fig. 6 is an elevation, partly in section, of the left-hand end of the parts shown in Fig. l, being an enlargement of the parts there shown.`

A is the base of the machine, preferably a casting.

B is the main driving-shaft, journaled at 6o D is the main driving-Wheel. I will 110W first describe the exterior series of boxes, in each of which a pile of more or less numbers of sheets or signatures, all of the same kind, are placed, which are to be gathered by the machine in proper order for binding. E is an annular ring or frame, upon which are mounted a series of boxes F. They consist of side pieces and front pieces G G G. 7o The side pieces have flanges H H at their upper ends, which prevent the sheets or signatures from being pushed upwardly and out of the box.

I is What may be called a movable bottom,

one being placed in each of these boxes. It

y is supported upon a spindle J, which slides th rough bearings K K, made on they frame.

L is a spring which is fastened at one end to one of the brackets K and at the other end 8o to a little cross-head M, which has a small wheel N on its other end. This cross-head is fastened tothe spindle J. It will thus be seen that the spring normally tends to lift the signatures upwardly through the boxes and holds 8 5 the upper one in contact with the ledges I-I.

O is a little cross-shaft mounted in suitable bearings at the upper part of the boxes F upon the ledges I-I, and P are little rubber Wheels upon the shafts, These Wheels normally bear upon the signatures and act as retarders to their being fed into the machine, as hereinafter described.

The shaft B has a pinion Q (see Fig. its left-l1and end, which engages With a gear 95 R, set upon the shaft R', which is supported in bearings R2, and on the end of it is fastened a disk R3, (see Fig. 1,) upon which is fastened a roller 5, which engages in a slot T, made in a vertically-sliding block U, which roo block is attached to a slide V, which has vertical movement upon slide-rods W. The slot in the sliding blockUis curved at its centralportion, as shown,the curve being coincident with the line of movement of the roller S, so that there shall be a dead point of considerable area. Thus there will be no movement of the block U for a considerable time when it is at its lowermost position.

Y is a ledge fastened to the front of the slide-block, the forward end of which is curved upwardly, as shown.

The operation of this part of the apparatus is as follows: As the outer frame E revolves by a step-by-step movement, the rollers N on the end of each cross-head M successively move under the ledge Y of the slide V, the forward end of which, as stated, is turned up orbeveled off to allow these rollers to smoothly and easily pass under, and the machine is so timed that when these rollers in succession come under the ledge Y then the rotation of the shaft B, communicated to the gear-wheel R, rotates the disk R3, which, acting through the little roller S and slide-block U,.carry down the slideV, thus depressingr the spindle J, overcoming the resiliency of the spring L, and lowering the false bottoln I in each of the boxes F in turn, so that a new supply of sheets or signatures may be deposited within the box. It will be noticed that this occurs only at one point--i'- e., the place where the verticallyfmoving slide-block depressor is situated-and it is at this point that a girl or other operative may resupply sheets o r signatures to the boxes as they one by one come opposite her.

I will now describe the sheet-transferring mechanism. As before stated, the boxes F are arranged in series side by side around the frame E.

`A' is a beveled gear on the shaft B, which, through the gear B' and pinion C', transmit power to the large gear D', which revolves on the bearing-ring E', fastened on the frame. The gear D gears into the gear F', fastened on the vertical shaft G', which gives rotation to a sprocket-wheel II', which, through the sprocket-chain I', conveys rotary motion to another sprocket-wheel J', fastened upon the shaft K', which, through pinions L' and M', rotate the wheel N'. The beveled pinion M' and the gear V' are rigidly attached or keyed to a shaft P', which revolves in suitable bearing R4.

O' O' are the hubs for the Wheels h and N', respectively. In order that the' feeding mechanism about to be described may be driven with more accuracy and with less danger of fracture, I prefer to have it connected with the driving mechanism at two points. For this reason I connect the shaft I" with another shaft S' by means of a pin T', which is fastened t'o the shaft S' and engages with. theshaft O', as seen in Fig. 3, and on the ends of the shaft S', I put another gear U', the same as the gear N'. The shaft S' is set ata slight angle to the shaft O', the angle being defined by the radius of the circle.

The gears U' and U mesh into other gears V' and W', placed above them, which are set A upon shafts, as shown, and are supported upon uprights on the frame in substantially the same manner as just described, and the several shaft-sections,7 so to speak, which are connected together by the pins y', which engagewith the socketsz' in ball-and-socketfashion, extend entirely around the circle defined by the ring E, being located in front of each of the boxes F, and upon each o f them at one end, preferably the left-hand end, as shown, is located a grooved pulley c. and a cam-surface b. The side of the cam is shown at C, Fig. l. Instead of the pins T', I can employ 'the ordinary interlocking cross-heads, as indicated at T2, Fig. 3.

Referring now to Figs. l, 3, and G, fl CZ is a bell-crank lever pivoted at e to the frame and having a little roller f at its lower end, 'and attached to the bell-crank lever are grooved pulleys g and h, over which a belt i passes, which also passes over the grooved pulley CL. The wheels g and 72, are set upon shafts e and 7c, upon which are fastened feed-rollers l and fm, and the roller l engages with another feedroller n, placed upon the same shaft that supports the groove-pulleys The operation of this part of the apparatus is as follows: The power is transmitted from the shaft B through the beveled gears, facegears, sprocket wheel and chain, the., and

through the shafts connected to each other by the stated pin connection or ball-and-socket joint, and thence to the upper set of shafts, whereby the pulleys d and cam t) upon them are rotated. The little roller f on the lower end of the bell-crank d rests upon the surface of the cam b. Thus during the major portion of the revolution of the cam, as will be seen from Fig. l, the bell-crank is tipped upwardly, so that the feed-roller m (see Fig. l) does not engage with the upper face of the topmost signature or sheet. The belt i, however, which vengages with the grooved pulley7 a, continually rotates the pulleys g e and consequently the feed-rollers Z, m, and n. NVhen a box of the inner series is properly coincident with a box of the outer series, so as to receive a leaf or signature in the inner box, then the roller f on the bell-crank will come upon the reduced portion of the cam, the bell-crank will drop, the feed-roller m will come in contact with the surface of the uppermost signature or sheet, and it will, by the pull of the feed-roller, be fed in toward the inner box, and as it passes between the feed-rollers Zand fn it is gripped by them for the completion of the feed. At that time the roller f will have passed out of the depressed portion of the cam b, and consequently the primary feed roller m will be lifted away from the sheets or signatures, so that a second one cannot be fed inopportunely, and the retarding-roller I upon the shaft O will hold back the next .underlying signature, so as to make this action certain and reliable.

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I now come to the consideration of the mechanism which secures the rotation of the outer and also the inner series of boxes. Upon the shaft B is placed a beveled gear o, which gears into a gear p on a vertical shaft q, which' is supported upon the frame of the machine. On this shaft is attached a crank r, in which works a connecting-rod s, the other end of which is attached to a carriage u, which slides in ways 'u on the machine. To this carriage are pivoted at to two arms y' above the carriage and e below the carriage.v They deflect to the right and left, as shown in Fig. 2, and on their ends are recesses which engage with pins aand b', as shown. v The pins a are set in an upper annular frame a2 and the pins b are set in a lower annular frame o', which are supported upon spokes clrl, attached to a hub e'. The upper frame is in like manner attached to spokes ff. The two arms y and .a are connected together by a spring g', which normally draws them together. It will be readily seen that as the carriage u is moved forward and back by the operation of the crank these arms will by a step by step movement engage successively with the pins upon the upper and' lower frames, and will cause them to revolve right and left in opposite directions.

I now come to the mechanism constituting the inner set of boxes, in which, as above stated, the sheets or signatures are collected in proper arrangement for binding. 7L illustrates one of these boxes. I show a single one only to avoid confusion in the drawings; but it is to be understood that aseries of them coincident in location with the outer boxes F extend all around the inner frame. For this part of the mechanism I refer specially to Fig. 6. These boxes comprise, simply, side pieces t" t. The bottoms j and also the inner sides 7.a of these boxes are attached by a block e or its equivalent, which is pivoted at m to a bifurcated support n', which is fastened in any suitable manner upon a bracket o, attached to an annular frame or ring 02, which forms the base or support for all of the inner series of boxes. This bifurcated support n is provided with a spindle p', which slides through an opening in the bracket o', and by a set-screw q can be adjusted in or out. On the side of the boxes 7L is a spring r', which engages with a thumb s', forming part of a pivoted catch t. This catch is provided so that when necessary it, being thrown up into position as shown in Figs. l and 6, will during the rotation of the innerand outer series of boxes slide over an extension u', which projects inwardly from each of the bell-crank mechanisms upon which the feed-rollers Zand m are located, so that when necessary to control the feeding mechanism irrespective of the operation of the cam b, this catchtV will hold the primary feed-rollerm away from the sheets or signatures, whether the depressed portion of the cam b adjoins the roller for not. This is shown in Figs. l and 6. t Then the catch t is not desired, it can be pulled over inwardly away from the part u and the spring r willhold it in its retracted position.

I now consider the delivery mechanism whereby the several signatures which have been properly gathered one upon the other in the inner series of boxes in proper form to' be bound may be delivered from them at the proper time into a delivery-chute or upon a table on the machine, special reference being had to Figs. l and 6. Upon the upper end of the shaft q is a crank-wheel o', having a crank-pin w', to which is pivoted the crankarm y', which oscillate the slide s', to lwhich are attached two connecting-rods b2 b2, which at their forward ends engage at -each side, as at o2 c2, with a tumbling delivery mechanism. This mechanism comprises a frame cl2, having a shelf e2, attached to it and it is pivoted atf?, so that it may be tumbled or upset for-` wardly. g2 is a pivoted pawl normally held by a spring h2 in an upwardly and inwardly presented position, and 2 is another similar pawl which is held in like manner by a spring jg. It, however, points upwardly and outwardly.

The operation of this part of the apparatus is as follows: As the crank 0) and arm y oscillate the carriage e", the connecting-rods b2 lirst move the tumbling delivery-frame d2 down the slideways k until it comes in con` `tact with the first pawl g2. The pressure of the crank still continuing, the delivery-frame cl2 is upset, the pawl serving as a stop, and as the. frame goes over it presses upon the upper corner of the pawl and crowds it gradually down through an open space in the slideway, so that the frame is tipped over and can be still further shoved along, the pawl gje being now pressed out of the way. Itis so shoved along, passing over the depressed pawl g2, and

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during its outward movement it also presses down the pawl t2, and passing slightly beyond this pawl 2 it (the pawl) springs upwardly again in the rearof the tipped-over frame d2. Now, upon the return operation of the crank which moves the carriage ,e in the opposite direction, the pawl. t2 in turn temporarily ob` structs the return movement of the deliveryframe cl2, and the pull of the connecting-rods b2 upon it causes it to tip back again, and in so doing `the two-part shelf or platform e2 passes upwardly by the sides of the bottom -j of thebox 7L', which bottom is made narrower than the full width of the box for this express purpose, and thus the contents ofthe boxes are tipped back against the inner side of the box 7a', which, rocking'on its pivot in the arms u', as already stated, tips back against. the end n2 of a delivery-chute Zi, and as the delivery device is pulled back again into its primary position it gradually slidesl the contents of the box off from the now-inclined side k thereof up into the 'deliverychut-e, and it also depresses thepawl i2 until it can pass over it, and then, passing further inwardly, it in turn depresses the pawl g2 and IIO into those boxes as they successively appear i at that point 'a quantity more or less, as desired, of the leaves or signatures, all those which are inthe saine box of this exterior sei i having means at their tops to prevent too riesbeing alike. Then the machine, as already described, sen-ds the outer series of boxes around in one direction and the inner series ot boxes around in the other direction by a s-tep-by-step movement, and at each step a box in the inner series comes opposite a box in the youter series, and then all the transferingv mechanisms transfer successively the nppermos-t sheet or signature from each of the outer boxes to the inner boxes, which are for the time being opposite them, and in such manner as obviously to gather in each one of the inner boxes a sheet or signature from each of the outer boxes, so that in the inner boxes they are superposed one upon the other in p-roper order and arrangement for binding, and during the operation of the machine the contents .of the inner boxes are at the proper time automatically. delivered .upon a chute. or table, from which they may be taken for binding.

- vI believe this machine is the quickest and cheapest to operate of any heretofore known, and although the details of mechanism which I have shown are effective for the purposes l adapted to rece-ive the material, mechanism nevertheless it may be very greatly changed in details, and I therefore do not limit myself to the details; but,

Having described the invention, I claim- 1. In a gathering-machine, an inner and outer` series of boxes, both in substantially the same horizontal plane, and transferring mechanism whereby sheets or signatures are successively transferred from one series of boxes to the other, substantially as set forth.

2. In a gathering-machine, an inner and an outer series of boxes, both in substantially the same horizontal plane, caused to come coincident with each other successively, and mechanism Wherebylsheets or signatures are automatically transferred from one series to the other, substantially as set. forth.

3. In a gathering-machine, a series of boxes arranged in `circular form, in which piles of sheets or signatures of the same kind are placed, andanother series of boxes moved relative tothe first series, so as to successively coincide with them in location, and mechanism .whereby sheets or signatures are transferred from the first to the second series,and means whereby the gathered sheets or signal tures are delivered from the inner series, substantially as set forth.

Li. In a gathering-machine, a series of boxes having means at their tops to prevent too v great upward movement of the material, de-

.l vices to remove the uppermost sheet or signature, a. retarding-roller, and a movable bottom, substantially as set forth.

5. In a gatheri-ng-machine,l aseries of boxes vhaving means at their tops to prevent too i great upward movement of the material, de-

vices to remove the uppermost sheet or signature, a retarding-roller, and a spring-controlled movable bottom, substantially as set i forth.

6. In a gathering-machine, a series of boxes great upward movement of the material, de-

, vices to remove the uppermost sheet or signature, a retarding-roller, spring-controlled v movable bottoms for the. boxes, and n automatic bottom-depressin g device, substantially as set forth.

7. In a gathering-machine, a series of boxes adapted to 'receive .the material and mechanism for removing the sheets or signatures from the boxes, comprising primary and secondary feed-rollers and means whereby the primary rollers are removed from contact with the material when it has been engaged by the secondary feed-rollers, substantially as set forth.

8. In a gathering-machine, a series. of boxes adapted to receive the material, mechanism for removing the sheets or signatures from the boxes,comprisingprimary and secondaryfeedrollers and means whereby theprimary rollers' are removed from contact with the material when it has been engaged bythe secondary i feed-rollers, and a retardin-g device, substantially as set forth.

9. In a gathering-machine, a series of boxes for removing the sheets or signatures from the boxes,co.mprisingprimaryandsecondaryfeedrollers and means whereby the prim ary rollers are removed from contact with the material y when it has been engaged by the secondary i feed-rollers, a retarding device, and an automatic bottom-depressin g device,fsubstantially as set forth.

lO. In agathering-machine,an exterior s e- Q ries of boxes and an interior series of boxes, both in substantially the same' horizontal plane, moved relative to eachother, so as successively to coincide in location with each 1 other, mechanism for transferring the matesame horizontal plane, caused to coincide in location with the first series, intermittently- IIC acting mechanism for transferring the material from the first series into the second, and automatic delivery apparatus for removing the gathered material from the second series upon a table or chute, substantially as set forth.

12. In a gathering machine, a series of boxes into which the material is gathered, the bottom and one side whereof are movable, and adelivery device which at predetermined times lifts the material from the boxes, at the same time changing the position of the bottom and one side of the box, substantially as set forth.

13. In a gathering -machine, two rotary frames, upon one of which are placed a series of boxes which receive the material in the firstinstance and on the other of which receiving-boxes are placed, and mechanism whereby the material is transferred from one series of boxes into the other, substantially as set forth.

14. A gathering-machine comprising, essentially, two rotary frames, upon one of which are arranged a series of boxes having movable bottoms and transferring mechanisms and upon the other of which is arranged a series of receiving-boxes, the two seriesbeing caused to coincide with each other successively by a step-by-step movement of the machine, which also at predetermined times depresses the bottoms of the first series of boxes, substantially as set forth.

15. A gathering-machine comprising, essentially, two rotary frames, upon one of which are arranged a series of boxes having movable bottoms and transferring mechanisms and upon the other of which is arranged a series of .receiving-boxes, the two series being caused to coincide with each other successively by a step-by-step movement of the machine, which also at predetermined times depresses the bottom of the first series of boxes, and means whereby the transferring mechanism is prevented from engaging with the material except at stated times, substantially as set forth.

` 16. Agathering-machine comprising, essentially, two rotary frames, upon one of which are arranged a series of boxes having movable bottoms and transferring mechanisms and upon the other of which is arranged a series of receiving-boxes, the two series being caused to coincide with each other successively by a step-by-Step movement of the machine, which also at predetermined times depresses the bottom of the first series of boxes, and means whereby the feeding mechanism is prevented from engaging with the material `except at stated times, and an automatic delivery mechanism for removing the gathered sheets from the receiving-boxes and delivering them upon a table or chute, substantially as set forth.

17. In a gathering machine, a series of boxes in which the material is placed in the first instance, having spring-actuated vertically-movin g bottoms and ledges at their upper ends, a retarding-roller, and transferring mechanism comprising primary and secondary feed-rollers and means whereby the primary rollers are removed from contact with the material except at stated times, substantially as set forth.

18. In a gathering-machine, two series of movable boxes constructed and arranged to coincide in location with each other at predetermined times, transferring mechanisms for removing the material from the first series of boxes in to the second series, and a catch upon the second series adapted to control the transferring mechanism, substantially as set forth.

19. In a gathering-machine, two series of movable boxes constructed and arranged to coincide in location with each other at predetermined times, transferring mechanism for removing the material from the first series of boxes into the second series, and an adjustable catch upon the second series adapted to control the transferring mechanism, substantially as set forth.

20. In a gathering-machine, receiving-boxes into which the material is gathered, which by a step-by-step movement comes successively coincident with delivery mechanism, which lifts their contents out from them and delivers it upon a table or other suitable device, substantially as set forth.

2l. In a gathering-machine, the combination of, first, receptacles for the sheets or signatures in the first instance; second, receptacles into which the several sheets or signatures are automatically gathered; third, automatic mechanism for bringing the two sets of receptacles coincident with each other; fourth, automatic mechanism for transferring sheets or signatures from the first set into .the second set of receptacles, and, fifth, automatic mechanism for delivering the gathered material upon a chute or other suitable support, substantially as set forth. i

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 29th day of January, A. D. 1891.

ALFRED BREDENBERG. lVitnesses:

' PHILLIPS ABBOTT, CHARLES RYDER.

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